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The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
&
The Heritage Foundation
Cordially invite you to celebrate Law Day 2010
by attending the official release of their joint report:
WITHOUT INTENT
How Congress Is Eroding the Criminal Intent Requirement in Federal Law
Sponsored by
Congressmen Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Featuring
Edwin Meese III, Chairman, Center for Legal & Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation
Norman L. Reimer, Executive Director, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 10 a.m.
The Capitol
HC-8
In 2009, Rep. Bobby Scott and Rep. Louie Gohmert, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Crime Subcommittee, respectively, held the first congressional hearing on overcriminalization--the proliferation of vague, overbroad criminal offenses that lack adequate criminal intent (mens rea) requirements that protect the innocent. A core principle of the American system of justice is that no one should be subjected to criminal prosecution unless they intentionally engage in inherently wrongful conduct or conduct that they know to be unlawful. Only in such circumstances is a person truly blameworthy and deserving of criminal punishment. Yet in recent decades Congress has enacted scores of fundamentally flawed criminal statutes that lack adequate criminal intent protection for innocent actors.
NACDL and The Heritage Foundation undertook an unprecedented study of the federal legislative process for enacting non-violent and non-drug criminal legislation. Law Day 2010, with its theme of Enduring Traditions, Emerging Challenges, presents an ideal opportunity to release the joint report’s findings, to reflect on how far federal criminal lawmaking has drifted from its traditional roots, and to explore the critical reforms necessary to meet the challenge of reckless overcriminalization.
NACDL and Heritage invite you to join us and Reps. Bobby Scott and Louie Gohmert in this bipartisan dialogue to heighten awareness concerning a growing problem that transcends political affiliation or ideology.
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Please RSVP by Monday, May 3, 2010 to Jessica.Kline@heritage.org and include your congressional office or committee or your organization. Feel free to forward this invitation to your colleagues.
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| The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL’s 10,000-plus direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling more than 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal justice system. |
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